Influence of soilless substrates on irrigation frequency and plant growth of Leucospermum
2015
Kim, H. J. | Chen, L. | Kim, M. H. | Leonhardt, K. W.
Leucospermum species have great potential for potted flowering plants. Our aim was to determine proper substrate and water requirements for the production of Leucospermum and to evaluate plant quality during the production period. Rooted cuttings of L. 'Brandi Dela Cruz' were planted into 3.78-L pots filled with either commercial potting mix (CPM) (60% peat moss: 40% perlite, v/v) or volcanic cinder-based potting mix (VCM) (50% volcanic cinder: 50% peat moss, v/v). Irrigation was automatically controlled with substrate moisture sensors set at multiple set-points to provide different levels of volumetric water content (VWC, m3·m-3). Due to the different physical properties of the two media, the set-points ranged from 0.33 to 0.41 for CPM and from 0.58 to 0.66 and VCM, respectively. Daily irrigation volume gradually increased as plant size increased. Plants grown with VCM required higher irrigation frequency and higher daily irrigation volume to maintain the target VWC, however, plants were significantly bigger and greener compared to the plants grown with CPM. Although plant growth was not much affected by VWC regardless of substrates, less leachate was generated at lower set-points. It is concluded that substrates are important in determining the irrigation frequency and volume, and the plant growth of Leucospermum. Optimizing the characteristics of potting substrates will help maximize crop quality while minimizing water loss to the environment.
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